MCN long-term test fleet 2022
Welcome to the 2022 MCN Long-term Test Fleet.
Over the course of the year we'll be putting serious miles on these 10 bikes to find out what they're like to live with.
Keep an eye out for written updates, videos and more. Click through to each individual page to get the latest updates as we pile on the miles.
Follow #MCNfleet22 for updates on our social media channels.
Click on the pictures below:
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Check out previous MCN Fleets below:
MCN Fleet: Who needs a superbike, anyway?
20 June 2022 by
Oulton Park is one of my favourite circuits. A frenzied strip of tarmac threading through undulating Cheshire woodland, it’s every inch the mini-Nurburgring. It’s probably why I like it so much… on a...
Getting to know the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo a little better
16 June 2022 by
When I first reported on my time with the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo in the May 4 issue of MCN, I was around 1600 miles and two months into my time with the Austrian brute and still trying to establish...
MCN Fleet: Easy-to-use smartphone connectivity on the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT
14 June 2022 by
Smartphone connectivity, it seems every household device offers this function these days. But whilst I’ve managed to resist downloading the partner apps for my ‘connected’ washing machine and toaster...
MCN Fleet: Honda NT1100 becomes a crash test dummy
09 June 2022 by
I know it’s not real but still find it shocking to see the image of the Honda NT1100 laying on it’s side, having just been ‘hit’ by a car and me flat on my back, in the middle of road. MCN have...
MCN Fleet: Rich puts in a 501-mile day on the BMW K1600GT
20 May 2022 by
The Proclaimers might have been perfectly happy to perambulate 500-miles on multiple occasions, but I much prefer to employ an engine and two wheels in my travel assignments. And with the prospect of...
Yamaha R7 60th Anniversary Edition long-term test
20 May 2022 by
Contact: gareth.evans@motorcyclenews.com I’m aware that there’s always a honeymoon period when you get a new bike, but how long does it last? I’m asking because I’ve been heading into my garage...
MCN Fleet: It’s first service time for the Kawasaki Z900RS
20 May 2022 by
Well, I have reached my first thousand miles on this stunning looking Kawasaki Z900RS. I am still in that honeymoon period where everything is a joy, and I look forward to every ride. Last week I had...
MCN Fleet: Ducati’s Multistrada V2 ticks all the boxes
11 May 2022 by
Having spent the last decade onboard dedicated adventure bikes it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a road focussed bike such as the Ducati Multistrada V2. It may look like an adventure bike, but...
MCN Fleet: It’s a case of love at first ride for Ben and the Indian FTR S
28 April 2022 by
The last few weeks have felt like the start a promising relationship. I’m in that part where you play down how excited you are to your friends and family in case it doesn’t work out and you look like...
MCN Fleet: Aprilia Tuareg 660 faces snow in the Yorkshire Dales
22 April 2022 by
As my last long term test bike (Moto Guzzi V7 Stone) was a retro run-around, more suited to city streets than long distances, I was excited to have something that, let’s be honest, is the complete...
MCN Fleet: Summing up life with the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone
11 April 2022 by
And just like that, I’ve come to the end of my time with the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone, 80 days to be exact, so not as long as some of my colleagues, but I guess all good things come to an end. The Moto...
MCN Fleet: Friends de-united
11 April 2022 by
I’m sad to report ‘my’ Trident’s gone back to Hinckley now, but I’ll never forget my time with Triumph’s triple. It’s been a brilliant companion for the sort of riding I do – mainly B-road blasts...
MCN Fleet: Exhilarated, exhausted, extinguished and excellent…that’s the Ducati Multistrada V4S
07 April 2022 by
Context is a wonderful thing. Ride almost any motorcycle from the last decade in isolation, and you’ll almost certainly be a very happy human – you’d have to search long and hard to find an inherently...
MCN Fleet: Home time for the hooligan
05 April 2022 by
As my time with the Green Hooligan comes to a close I have mixed feelings. Although I’m sad to see it go, I also can’t help but feel a pang of relief. I’m relieved that I’m able to hand it back in one...
MCN Fleet: Small advantages pay off for KTM 890 Adventure R
22 March 2022 by
It’s a pretty big claim, and it’s obviously subjective, but after eight months of ownership I think the KTM 890 Adventure R is the best adventure bike out there. Yes, there are more powerful bikes,...
MCN Fleet: Dan looks back fondly at a (largely) brilliant year with the Aprilia RS 660
16 March 2022 by
I grew up with sportsbikes, one-piece suits, sliders and trackdays, but I’ve started to grow tired of living with the recipe of low clip-ons, high pegs and peaky inline fours. On a trackday, or when...
MCN Fleet: Emma speaks to Gen 2 Suzuki Hayabusa owners
08 March 2022 by
Peerless, that’s the best word to describe the 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa – there’s simply nothing quite like it. While manufacturers endlessly follow each other down the retro and dual-sport routes, Suzuki...
MCN Fleet: Honda CRF300 Rally - It’s part of the family
28 February 2022 by
Yes, it’s small, but the Honda CRF300 Rally is a proper do-it-all – and it’s massive fun, too. Some machines are a bit of a one-trick pony, but the CRF300 Rally is at the opposite end of the usability...
MCN Fleet: Ali reflects on her riding year on the Yamaha Tracer 9GT
27 February 2022 by
A combination of the dreaded Covid19 hanging over us all and an operation on my ankle in November, meant my year wasn’t quite as planned. That said, I still clocked up over 6,000 miles on the Yamaha...
MCN Fleet: 5252 miles on our BMW S1000R
25 November 2021 by
600 miles 26 May, 5pm: take delivery. Having had the original S1000R in 2014, which I loved, I can’t wait to ride the new one. It’s much like the old bike, albeit that bit more refined and doesn’t...
MCN Fleet: Forget everything you know about a Harley
02 August 2021 by
Speaking very personally, the Harley-Davidson Pan America is one of the most exciting bikes I’ve been able to test in my entire time at MCN. Why? Because I genuinely didn’t have a clue what it would...
MCN Fleet: The Honda Fireblade SP finds a permanent home
07 April 2021 by
Maybe it’s the ‘Lockdown Effect’, or perhaps it’s what’s known as a mid-life crisis (they’re not just for men, you know?) But whatever the reason, the result is I’m now the proud co-owner of a 2020...
MCN Fleet: Can the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro devour its rivals?
25 March 2021 by
My love affair with adventure bikes started way back in 2006 when I blagged a go on a friends KTM 950 Adventure. I was still into my sports bikes at the time, mainly 600 supersports but the KTM...
MCN Fleet: A Ducati Streetfighter for less?
19 March 2021 by
This is my third Ducati Streetfighter – I love ‘em. The latest V4 option is far from cheap, but there is a more affordable way to own one: get a used 1098 or 848 model. My first Streetfighter was the...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT post-it pad video review
18 March 2021 by
After a year living with the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT, News Editor Jordan Gibbons gives his video verdict. Watch the full film above and catch previous updates below. Related: Full Suzuki V-Strom...
MCN Fleet: The KTM 1290 Super Duke GT is good, but not perfect
18 March 2021 by
I couldn’t believe my luck when I was entrusted with KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT. Grabbing the keys in early February, I couldn’t wait to put its 173bhp V-twin to the test on track and lose my European...
MCN Fleet Yamaha Ténéré 700 long-term test round-up
17 March 2021 by
I’ve spent the strangest year of my life as custodian of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and some of the best bits of it were spent in the saddle. Here’s how the last 12 months unfolded. Previous MCN Fleet...
MCN Fleet: Auf Wiedersehen Pet! Fond farewell to the BMW F900XR
26 January 2021 by
It was a difficult year to put miles on a long-term test bike and I’ve given it back feeling like I had much to learn. Here’s a timeline of what I did manage to acheive with the bike and you can find...
MCN Fleet: Where did 2020 go on the Kawasaki Z H2
26 January 2021 by
Well, I feel I have blinked and missed 2020, which actually may be a good thing in some ways. I do though feel I have been robbed of some of the fun times I could have had out on the truly bonkers...
MCN Fleet: Would I buy the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports?
23 December 2020 by
Last week, a reader asked me if I have a favourite manufacturer – not something I’ve really thought about before – and that got me thinking about my own bikes and the Honda Africa Twin I’ve now spent...
MCN Fleet: Video round-up of 2020 with the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
17 December 2020 by
See the video above to find out what Gareth thinks of the Interceptor after spending 2020 riding, modifying and working it. Update 8: Further afield on our Enfield First published 25/11/2020 After...
MCN Fleet: time to wash and go
09 March 2020 by
It’s time to wave goodbye to the Honda CBR650R and I’ll be really sad to see it go. Related: full expert Honda CBR650R review on MCN One of my concerns at the start of this long-term test was that...
MCN Fleet: Waving goodbye to Kawasaki’s Green Giant
02 March 2020 by
‘Christ this thing’s big… I’m not sure what I’ve got myself in for here,’ is what I told myself as I wobbled out of the MCN carpark for the first-time aboard Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 SE almost a year...
MCN Fleet: Commuting is a piece of cake on the Yamaha XMAX 400
05 February 2020 by
This time of year depresses me – the days are grey, nights are long and winter feels like it’s never going to end. There is one ray of sunshine though, my daily commute on the Yamaha XMAX 400...
MCN Fleet: KTM 790 Adventure R delivers on its potential
20 January 2020 by
The start of every year is always filled with such high expectation of rides, adventures and quality time on your bike. But life is busy and it’s so easy for the summer months to drift past and you...
MCN Fleet: The cat's out of the bag for the Scrambler XE
14 January 2020 by
The look of a bike is one thing, but the sound of a bike, well now you’re talking. For me, my ultimate is a big thumping single. To my ears, it’s unbeatable. The big twin Triumph Scrambler 1200XE...